Shower bath spray head



Aug. 27, 1935. R. c. B'OYD snowmn BATH SPRAY HEAD Filed Nov. 8, 1954 Patented Aug. 27, 1935 SHOWER BATH SPRAY HEAD Robert C. Boyd, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 8, 1934, Serial No. 751,993 r.

' 14 Claims. (01. 299-130) This invention relates to shower bath spray devices or heads and more articularly to those in which the jets forming the spray are adjustable.

An object of this invention is to produce a shower bath spray device or head which has maximum freedom from clogging due to foreign matter in the water and corrosion products of the metal.

Another object is to produce a non-clogging, adjustable jet shower bath spray device which is simple, rugged and relatively cheap to manufacture.

A still further object is to produce a shower bath spray device or head in which the jets forming the spray are produced in a new and novel manner.

A still further object of this invention is to produce a shower bath spray device or head in which the water is not confined at any point by holes or narrow slots such as found in all other shower bath spray devices or heads.

These, aswell as other objects, which will readily appear to those skilled in this particular art,

'25 I attain by means of the device described in the specification and illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of this application.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of the preferred form of shower bath spray head embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the device of Fig. 1;

1 Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the outer portion of the housing or body of the device shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 2.

The device broadly comprises a body portion adapted by means of a ball and socket connector of usual construction, to be attached to a water pipe, a skirt portion connected to the outlet end of the body portion and flaring outwardly therefrom, a series of stream splitting agents carried by the skirt portion adjacent its outer end and a stream spreader located within the skirt portion adjacent the outlet of the body portion and which, with part of the skirt portion, forms a nozzle which, acting upon water traversing the device, projects the same radially in the form of a thin sheet against the inner surface of the skirt.

The water thus projected radially travels along 55 the inner surface of the skirt as a hollow stream mediately adjacent the peripheral edge.

until it meets the stream splitting agents where it is split up into a multiplicity of jets. v

The stream, after leaving the annular nozzle formed by the spreader and part of the skirt portion, is unconfined and therefore, particles of 5 foreign matter carried by the water have little, if any efifectupon'the operation of the device.

In the device of Fig. 1, a body portion 5 has a ball and socket connector 6 of conventional type attached to its inlet end by a ball joint nut 10 1. A circular skirt 8 joins the body at its outlet end. The interior surface of the skirt is formed generally as a surface of revolution which is concentric with the major axis of the body portion.

-That portion of the skirt extending from a 15 point 9 adjacent its outer end to a point I0, is provided wth stream splitting agents ll. These agents preferably take the form of vanes which are angular in cross section with their inner edges parallel to the major axis of the body portion. 20 The vanes form a series of angular slots, the bases of which coincide with the curved inner. surface of the skirtexcept near their outer,ends where they are straight and sloped at various angles to the axis of the skirt in order to provide 25 stream distribution.

The inner surface of the skirt as hasbeen said, describes a surface of revolution and preferably takes the form of part of a hollow sphere and the stream splitting agents in reality project inwardly 3 from the skirt surface. That portion of the inner surface of the skirt from the inner ends l2 of the 'slots formed by the vanes or stream splitting agents to the outlet of the body portion is smooth.

A circular stream spreader I3 is provided with 33 a hollow stem I4 which is threaded into the body portiona distance above its outlet l5. The spreader stem is provided with a series of water openings or passages Hi. The spreader on the opposite side from stem I4 is provided with another 49 stem I! which carries a circular guard l8 and I a wing l9 which serves as a hand hold for adjusting the position of the spreader axially of the skirt.

The skirt beyond the outer ends of vanes l I 5 s is provided with a guard flange 20,

Water traversing the device of Figure-1 passes through passages l6 and is projected through the space between the peripheral edge 2! of the spreader and the circular wall of the skirt im- This space forms an annular nozzle which discharges or projects the water radially in the form of a relatively thin stream; the thickness of which stream will depend uponthe position of the 5 spreader. The closer the spreader is to the body portion, the thinner will be the stream and the farther the spreader is from the body portion,

- the thicker will be the stream.

The stream flows outwardly along the inner surface of the skirt and as it meets the vanes H, which constitute stream splitting agents, the stream which heretofore has been an unbroken hollow stream, is split up into a multiplicity of jets which are projected through the spaces between the outer periphery of guard l8 and flange 20 which surrounds guard l8.

In order to make an effective spray. the outer portion of the bases of the slots formed by the vanes are straight and are sloped at diiferent angles to the major axis of the skirt. For instance, if there are thirty slots 12 apart, I may have the bases of say twelve of these slots standing at an angle of 5 to the major axis of the skirt, twelve standing at 9 to such axis and six standing at 1 to such axis. Such an arrangement provides an efl'ective spray.

It will be understood that any suitable arrangement of inclination of the bases of the slots may be utilized to provide the type of spray desired.

The device of Fig. 2 is similar to the device of Fig. 1 except that the circular spreader in this form is mounted in a different manner from that shown in Figure 1 and is operated by a different type of mechanism.

The body 5a at its inlet end is provided with a ball and socket connector 6 held in place by a ball joint nut I- as in the form of Fig. 1. A circular skirt 8a joins the body portion at its outer end. The body portion is provided with a cylindrical bore IOa adapted to slidingly receive .a spreader support member 9a. This support member has a cylindrical body portion I la and guiding wings lZa, which slidingly fit within bore I On.

The support member is provided with a through slot 13a extending from side to side and below this slot the cylindrical portion of the support member is provided with a threaded bore Ha. A circular spreader |5a located within the skirt 8a is provided with a stem lfia which is threaded into threaded bore a. The inner end of the stem lla projects into through slot Na in the support member 9111.

A cylindrical member l8a extends through slot l3a of the support member above the inner end Ila of the spreader stem l6a. This cylindrical member |8a at its inner end is provided with a cylindrical enlargement l9a which fits into a circular bearing recess 200 formed in a wall of the body member. The opposite end of cylindrical member 18a from the enlarged cylindrical end [9a is provided with an enlarged cylindrical member 2la of the same diameter as enlargement Isa, and concentric with I9a; but of a greater length. Enlargement 2la passes through a bore 22a formed in the wall of the body portion and a boss 23a which projects from the body portion, and this wall, as well as the walls of circular recess 206 form bearings for enlargements I911 and Zia. Cylindrical enlargement Zia is provided with a concentrically arranged reduced portion 23a.

Boss 24a is exteriorly threaded to receive a packing nut 25a. A packing 26a is conflned in place by means of this nut and seals the joint between cylindrical enlargement Ma and its bore or bearing surface 22a.

The extreme outer end of reduced portion 23a is tapered to receive the tapered bore of a hub 21a of a handle 28a. This handle is held in place by means of a screw 29a which is threaded into a tapered hole in the end of this tapered portion.

The outer side of spreader l5a is provided with a projecting wrench hold 30a in order that the spreader may be adjusted to proper position with relation to handle 28a of its operating mechanism.

From this construction, it will be seen that as the handle 28a is operated, spreader l5a will be moved either toward or from the outlet end of the body portion, because of the cam action of cylindrical member 18a which is eccentrically arranged with relation to its bearing portions I91: and Ila.

In both forms of the device, the stream spreader is of greater diameter than the diameter of the outlet of the body portion, but of less diameter than the 'circle defined by the inner edges of the stream splitting vanes.

In operation, water traversing the device (both forms), by means of the annular nozzle formed by the circular stream spreader on the one hand and the adjacent surfaceof the surrounding skirt on the other, is projected in the form of a relatively thin fiat sheet against the inner wall of the shell. The curved inner surface of the shell forces the unconfined water to follow its contour and the flat sheet is thus converted into a hollow stream. In striking the vanes, this hollow stream is split intoa number of jets to form the spray. The number of jets in the spray will depend upon the number of vanes carried by the skirt. The size of the jets will depend upon the position of the spreader. By moving the spreader out beyond the stream forming range, a flushing action is obtained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shower bath spray device. a spreader for causing water traversing the device to be projected radially in a relatively thin flattened stream, a skirt-like member surrounding said spreader and with which the flattened stream collides whereby it is converted into a hollow stream, agents carried by said skirt-like member for splitting the hollow stream into multiple jets, and means for varying the axial position of the spreader.

2. In a shower bath spray device, a spreader for causing water traversing the device to be projected radially in a relatively thin solid stream, a skirt-like member surrounding said spreader and arranged to convert the radially projected water into a hollow partially spherical stream, agents carried by said skirt-like member adjacent its outer edge for splitting the hollow partially spherical stream into an annular series of jets, and means for adjusting the spreader to vary the wall thickness of the partially spherical stream.

3. In a shower bath spray device, a spreader for causing water traversing the device to be projected radially in a relatively thin stream, a partially spherical skirt-like member surrounding said spreader for receiver the radially projected water and converting it into a hollow stream, agents carried by said skirt-like member for splitting the hollow stream into multiple jets, and means for adjusting the spreader to a position to flush the device.

4. In a shower bath spray device, a circular spreader for causing water traversing the device to be projected radially in a solid relatively thin stream, a skirt-like member surrounding said spreader and spaced from the outer periphery thereof and against the inner surface of which said stream impinges, agents carried by said skirtlike member forsplitting the stream into an annular series of jets, and means for varying the position of said spreader axially of the device.

5. In a shower bath spray device, a body portion, a skirt-like member which joins the outlet end of the body portion, stream splitting agents carried by the skirt-like member, a stream spreader located within the skirt-like member and having its outer periphery of the same general contour as the adjacent surrounding surface of the skirt-like member. means withinthe body portion for supporting the spreader and means for adjusting the spreader axially of the skirtlike member.

6. In a shower bath spray device, a body portion, a skirt-like member which joins the outlet end of the bodvportion, stream splitting agents carried by the skirt-like member a spreader located within the skirt-like member and having its outer periphery of the same general contour as the adjacent surrounding surface of the skirtlike member, means threaded into the body portion for supporting the spreader and means located outside of the skirt-like member for adjusting the spreader axially of the skirt-like member.

7. In a shower bath spray device, a body portion, a skirt-like member which joins the outlet end of the body portion, stream splitting agents carried by the skirt-like member, a spreader located within the skirt-like member and having its outer periphery of the same general contamas the adjacent surrounding surface of the skirtlike member, means slidably mounted within the body portion for supporting the spreader and cam means operable from outside the body portion for adjusting the spreader axially of the skirt-like member.

8. In a shower bath spray device, a body member and a skirt joining the body member at its outlet end, an agent within the skirt adjacent the body member for causing water issuing from the body member to follow the walls of the skirt in the form of ahollow high velocity stream and means within the skirt adjacent its outlet end for splitting said hollow stream into a multiplicity of jets.

9. In a shower bath spray device, a body member and a skirt joining the body member at its outlet end, an agent within the skirt adjacent the body member for causing water issuing from the bodymember to follow the walls of the skirt in the form of a hollow, high velocity stream,

in the form of a hollow, high velocity stream and.

means formed on theinner surface of the skirt adjacent its outlet end for splitting said hollow stream into a multiplicity of jets.

11. In ashower bath spray device, a body member and a skirt joining the body member at its outlet end, an agent within the skirt adjacent the body member for causing water issuing from the body member to follow the walls of the skirt in the form of a hollow. high velocity stream. and a series of vanes projecting inwardly from the surface of said skirt for splitting said hollow stream into a multiplicity of jets.

12. In a shower bath spray device, a spreader for causing water traversing the device to be forcibly projected in the form of a relatively thin stream, a skirt-like member surrounding said spreader and spaced from the outer peripheral edge thereof for receiving the spread stream and bending it into ahollow stream and agents within the skirt for splitting the hollow stream into a multiplicity of jets.

.of jets is provided.

14. In a shower bath spray device, a body member and an outwardly flaring skirt joining the body member at its outlet end, means having its support within the body member above the skirt and arranged to co-operate with the adjacent portion of the skirt to form a nozzle by means of which water issuing from the body member is converted into a relatively thin stream which follows the inner wall of the skirt toward its outlet end and agents within the skirt and adjacent its outlet end whereby said stream is split up into a multiplicity of individual jets.

RDBERT C. BOYD.

, agents whereby a spray made up of a multiplicity 

